Luk 21:2 | KingComments | STEP | When the Lord looks up, He sees that rich people put their gifts into the treasury. He knows every giver of every gift and knows whether they are rich or poor. He also knows how much they give and also how they give, from which mind. He observes and notices that a poor widow puts two small copper coins into the treasury. Perhaps it is one of those widows about whom He has just spoken, at the end of the previous chapter, a widow whose house is eaten. Instead of complaining about it, she brings her last money to the treasury as a gift to God, for the maintenance of the temple, God’s house (cf. ). Isn’t it a useless gift, since the temple will be destroyed, as we see in the following verses? No, for she does not give to a temple that is about to be destroyed, but to God, and He appreciates every gift that comes from a completely dedicated heart. A gift may be small or even negligible in amount, but the true value lies in the motive of giving. That may also be a great comfort for us. The Lord praises the poor widow for her gift. According to His appreciation, she has put in more than all the rich together have put in. He knows that all the rich have put in from their abundance and that their abundance has not decreased by their gift. He also knows that the poor widow did not give a little from her lack, but everything she had. She has had nothing left for herself. She has even, as the Lord has said, given “all that she had to live on“, that is, she has given herself. This means that she has given in the full confidence that God will take care of her ( ). That is giving according to the heart of God. True disciples give like this widow. Luke writes more about widows than the other evangelists ( ). He presents the Lord Jesus as a Man Who was born, lived and died in poverty. The Lord pays special attention to these women. That must be the case with us too. It is even an important expression of pure and undefiled religion ( ).

‏ Luke 21:2

The Offering of the Widow

When the Lord looks up, He sees that rich people put their gifts into the treasury. He knows every giver of every gift and knows whether they are rich or poor. He also knows how much they give and also how they give, from which mind. He observes and notices that a poor widow puts two small copper coins into the treasury. Perhaps it is one of those widows about whom He has just spoken, at the end of the previous chapter, a widow whose house is eaten. Instead of complaining about it, she brings her last money to the treasury as a gift to God, for the maintenance of the temple, God’s house (cf. 2Kgs 12:9).

Isn’t it a useless gift, since the temple will be destroyed, as we see in the following verses? No, for she does not give to a temple that is about to be destroyed, but to God, and He appreciates every gift that comes from a completely dedicated heart.

A gift may be small or even negligible in amount, but the true value lies in the motive of giving. That may also be a great comfort for us. The Lord praises the poor widow for her gift. According to His appreciation, she has put in more than all the rich together have put in. He knows that all the rich have put in from their abundance and that their abundance has not decreased by their gift. He also knows that the poor widow did not give a little from her lack, but everything she had.

She has had nothing left for herself. She has even, as the Lord has said, given “all that she had to live on“, that is, she has given herself. This means that she has given in the full confidence that God will take care of her (Jer 49:11). That is giving according to the heart of God. True disciples give like this widow.

Luke writes more about widows than the other evangelists (Lk 2:36-38 ; Lk 4:26 ; Lk 7:11-17 ; Lk 18:1-8 ; Lk 21:1-4). He presents the Lord Jesus as a Man Who was born, lived and died in poverty. The Lord pays special attention to these women. That must be the case with us too. It is even an important expression of pure and undefiled religion (Jam 1:27).